FAZ 64 – “Zandalar Forever”

Manny and Joce recorded this episode live on Twitch for Extra Life! They cover 8.1 prep, the Zandalar Forever achievement, and the strategy for King’s Rest. To donate to this year’s Extra Life campaign, benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network of Hospitals, click here!

Official 8.1 Previews from Blizzard

With the Tides of Vengeance on the horizon, Blizzard has introduced a number of previews for the upcoming content.

• Warfront Changes
  • Contribution Phase with 3 dailies during the phase rather than 11 turn ins per cycle
  • New revamped mechanics to address the flow of the Siege Phase
  • WQs available during the patrol quest along with a new world boss
  • UI changes due to the multiple active warfronts.
• Faction Assaults
  • The new Invasions with the BfA faction conflict twist.
  • Alliance attack Zuldazar Horde Attack Kul’Tiras.
  • Both sides get themed WQs and attacking side gets a closing scenario against the enemy capital ship
• Warmode revamped
  • Scaling WQ bonus shown to be as high as an additional 30% to the under represented faction
  • Can now opt out of but not in to warmode any rest area (a la talents)

• Darkshore Warfront Preview
• Incursion Preview
• Reddit post showing PTR tool tip change

Additional Abilities coming off the GCD

Several abilities are being taken back off the GCD in 8.1 as Ion had said in a past Q&A. Ythisens posted on the forums regarding some of the abilities confirmed to be free of the GCD come Tuesday. These are all movement abilities but Ythisens confirmed that additional abilities were being discussed:

• Havoc – Vengeful Retreat
• All Druids – Wild Charge
• Arms – Charge
• Fury – Charge
• Protection Warrior – Ignore Pain
• Protection Warrior – Intercept
• Protection Warrior (PvP) – Dragon Charge
• Survival – Harpoon
• Ythisens’ Blue Post

Getting Ready for 8.1

The Tides of Vengeance will be making *waves* next Tuesday. Here’s a couple of items to consider as you prepare for the prepatch. Blizzard has been careful to reduce the amount of preparation players can do this time around but there are still some tricks to tell.

1. The weekly M+ chest will now contain Titan Residuum. Residuum is a new currency that can be used to purchase Azerite Gear.
   1. 1. Complete the highest level key you are able to complete this week to get as much of this currency possible after December 11th.
      2. The pool of upgrades that you can get directly from the weekly chest has been narrowed (this is good news)  
2. Azerite Gear obtained after Tuesday can be scrapped for Residuum. Therefore hold off on obtaining any Azerite Gear that you can still obtain after the reset. This includes:
   1. 1. Any Emissary Quest for Azerite Gear on Sunday December 9th or Monday December 10th
      2. Any World Quest that gives Azerite Gear that expires after the reset.
      3. Your Conquest Chest if it would provide Azerite Gear
3. There is no cap on Residuum and the currency will not be reset at the start of Season 2. However, The cost of the newly introduced ilvl 400 and 415 items will be vastly higher than what will be introduced in Season 2.
4. Azerite Reforging cost are getting a 1 time reset. Ahead of the reset you should reforge any gear based on whatever is most valuable to you when 8.1 goes live.
   1. 1. Some Azerite Traits are being retired and what may not have been a great piece of gear this week may be excellent next week. Consult a trusted source to see changes for your classes and specializations.
      2. The decay rate is speeding up to cost being halved every 2 days rather than every 3 days
5. Get ready for the new profession additions introduced next week.
   1. 1. Craft yourself some BoE gear as new recipes will become available that have a prerequisite of crafting the current recipes.
      2. Stock up on required mats for new recipes before demand balloons. Anchor weed transmute.

• Kaivax’s Post about M+ Caches
• Wowhead’s Speculation about Residuum Drop Rates

King’s Rest

The final resting place for the first King of the Troll empire, King’s Rest is arguably one of the most challenging dungeons offered in BfA’s launch line up. This tomb is a 4 boss dungeon is available on Mythic and Mythic Keystone difficulties. Horde players must complete the Zandalar Forever quest achievement, while Alliance players must complete the war campaign to gain access.

• The Golden Serpent

• • • A single phase encounter that involves add control.
    • Spit Gold targets a random non-tank player dealing moderate damage and applying a 9 sec DoT. This is a hard hitting DoT and will require healer attention. Once the DoT expires the affected player will drop a pool of Molten Gold at their location. This pool will deal ticking damage to any player standing within the area. Try to place all the pools together to limit the area taken up by the void zones and also because of the next ability…
    • Lucre’s Call will periodically be cast and will transform the Molten Gold pools into Animated Gold. These adds will move towards the boss and upon reaching the serpent will give him a stack of Luster. Each stack of Luster provides the boss with an absorb shield and a 50% damage amp until your dps can burn through the shield. The Animated Gold adds can be snared, rooted and stunned. Upon death they transform back into pools of Molten Gold until the next Lucre’s Call.
    • Serpentine Gust is AoE knockback that deals heavy damage to anyone within 15 yards of the boss. All players should back out of the area until after the ability is cast to avoid the damage.
    • Tail Trash is a tank ability that will deal spikes of damage to the tank. The tank should use some form of damage reduction or mitigation ahead of this ability.
• Mchimba the Embalmer

• • • Burn Corruption targets the location of a random player dealing damage to all players within 10 yards of that location. A patch of burning ground will be left behind dealing periodic damage to any player within the area.
    • Drain Fluids is a channeled spell that will deal damage over 8 sec. after which, the target will be affected by Desiccation debuff which will reduce damage done and movement by 50%. This can only be removed by healing the target above 90% of their max health.  
    • Entomb will seal a random non-tank player within one of the four sarcophagi against the walls of the encounter area. Mchimba will then start opening sarcophagi unleashing Half Finished Mommies and then the entombed player. This can be stopped by another player releasing the entombed victim. The entombed player can use a special action to “struggle” violently and cause their tomb to shake.
• The Council of Tribes

• • • Kula the Butcher
      • Whirling Axes is an AoE attack that does damage to all players within 10 yards and knocks them back. Two axes spawn and rotate around the location she cast whirling axes in an ever increasing radius.
      • Severing Axe hits a random player and leaves a 20 sec bleed on the target.
    • Aka’ali the Conquerer
      • Barrel Through targets a random player and then after a short delay Aka’ali will charge to that player. This will deal a massive amount of damage to the targeted player; however, the damage can be reduced by each player that is hit before Aka’ali reaches her target.
      • Debilitating Backhand is a knockback against the tank that also afflicts them with Shattered Defences. This debuff increases physical damage taken by the tank by 200% for 10 seconds. For those 10 seconds, the tank will need to kite or rotate defensives.
    • Zanazal the Wise
      • Lightning Bolt interrupt to reduce the damage to the group but it is not the priority to interrupt.
      • Poison Nova is the priority spell to interrupt. This will deal damage to the entire party and leave a 20 sec DoT as well.
      • Call of the Elements will summon 4 totems in the far corners of the platform.
        • Explosive Totem is the priority deal heavy party wide damage with it’s Explode ability
        • Thundering Crash will interrupt and silence casters repeatedly and should be the next totem on the kill list.
        • Torrent Totem spits out random bolts that will damage anyone in random areas
        • Earthwall Totem will repeatedly place a absorb shield on the active boss. This shield can be dispelled but if the totem is not destroyed it will put up a new shield soon after.
    • As each Council member is defeated they will periodically reappear and cast their signature ability. Kula will cast Whirling Axes, Aka’ali will cast Barrel Through and Zanazal will cast Call of the Elements.
    • The order you fight the council changes each week.  
• Dazar, the First King

 

• • Gale Slash targets the location of a random non-tank player sending a tornado to first to that location and then circumventing the room until it despawns.
  • Quaking Leap targets a player and then after a delay will leap to the target. This deals physical damage to the entire group which deals less damage the further away you are from where he lands.
  • Blade Combo is the tank ability dealing a series of hits for a spike of damage. Active mitigation should be up to diminish the damage received.
  • At 80% life Reban will be summoned into battle. Reban should be picked up by the tank but he will frequently leap to the location of a random party member and begin a series of frontal cleave attacks.
  • Upon reaching 60% health T’zala will join the fight and Dazar will mount his trusty raptor steed.
    • T’zala will constantly cast Deathly Roar which will fear the party for 2 seconds. Will of the forsaken, Berserker Rage or Tremor Totem can be used to break this effect early but it can not be interrupted.
    • The Eternal Guardian passive will redirect all damage Dazar would take to T’zala
  • Upon reaching the final 40% health, Impaling Spears will begin spawning in the encounter area. These deal physical damage and stun anyone caught in them.  

Podcast (faz-pod): Download (Duration: 1:49:35 — 100.3MB)